{
 "meta": {
  "tool": "Clinical Access Map",
  "generated_from": "src/data/clinical-access/ (content-collection store)",
  "now": "2026-07-16",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)",
  "creator": "Rory Merritt, MD, MEHP",
  "cite_as": "Merritt R. The Bridge2MD Clinical Access Map. Bridge2MD. https://bridge2md.com/clinical-access/",
  "signal_labels": {
   "very-strong": "Strongest",
   "strong": "Strong",
   "medium": "Useful",
   "foundation": "Foundation",
   "caution": "Be careful"
  },
  "signal_legend": {
   "very-strong": "Close enough to suffering, fear, disability, aging, or uncertainty that a student has to decide whether they still want this.",
   "strong": "Real responsibility or patient contact, one step removed.",
   "medium": "Useful exposure, but not patient-facing enough to carry the story alone.",
   "foundation": "A building block (CPR, first aid, service). A good base, never the whole thing.",
   "caution": "Often overrated or pay-to-play. Real only if real service happens."
  },
  "buckets": [
   {
    "id": "direct-care",
    "name": "Direct patient care",
    "blurb": "Near real patients, real vulnerability, real teams. The strongest experience a student can get."
   },
   {
    "id": "emergency-safety",
    "name": "Emergency and safety medicine",
    "blurb": "Where EMS lives. Cadet and EMR paths are often the best route in before 18."
   },
   {
    "id": "hospital-clinic",
    "name": "Hospital and clinic exposure",
    "blurb": "The classic bucket. Strong only when the student is close to patient care."
   },
   {
    "id": "health-professions",
    "name": "Health professions programs",
    "blurb": "Structured and easy to find. Resume-friendly, but never enough on their own."
   },
   {
    "id": "public-health-research",
    "name": "Public health, research, and community health",
    "blurb": "Not a substitute for patient contact, but excellent complements to it."
   }
  ],
  "disclaimer": "This is a research aid, not legal advice. Age, license, and program rules change and vary by employer, hospital, and program. Always confirm with your state board and the specific program before you rely on a date."
 },
 "roles": [
  {
   "id": "emt",
   "name": "Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)",
   "short": "EMT",
   "bucket": "emergency-safety",
   "signal": "very-strong",
   "gated_by": "state-law",
   "gates": [
    "train",
    "certify",
    "license",
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Calm under real stakes, and whether a student holds steady when care turns urgent and physical.",
   "next_step": "Find a state-approved EMT course. Many take students at 16 or 17, and the license follows at 18.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 17,
    "note": "You can commonly start an approved EMT course at 16 or 17; full state licensure follows at 18 in most states, and some certify younger. The training is the high-school move.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "cna",
   "name": "Certified Nurse Aide (CNA)",
   "short": "CNA",
   "bucket": "direct-care",
   "signal": "very-strong",
   "gated_by": "state-law",
   "gates": [
    "train",
    "certify",
    "license"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Whether a student truly loves the foundational work of caring for a body. The rare experience, not the commodity one.",
   "next_step": "Search your state's nurse aide registry for an approved program, or ask a local community college. Many run 4 to 8 week courses.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 16,
    "note": "State minimum is often 16, but many individual programs require 18. Federal floor is 75 training hours; many states require more.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "pharmacy_technician",
   "name": "Pharmacy technician",
   "short": "Pharmacy tech",
   "bucket": "health-professions",
   "signal": "medium",
   "gated_by": "state-law",
   "gates": [
    "train",
    "license"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Medication literacy and the systems side of care. Accessible, less about the bedside.",
   "next_step": "Check your state board of pharmacy. Some let a current high schooler register as a trainee.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 17,
    "note": "Most states require registration. Some explicitly allow a current high-schooler as a trainee. Verify per state.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "shadowing",
   "name": "Shadowing",
   "short": "Shadow a doctor",
   "bucket": "hospital-clinic",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "An honest look at the work, and often the first recommender relationship. Private practices are usually easier than hospitals.",
   "next_step": "Start with your own doctor. Ask politely if you can shadow for a day, and explain why.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 0,
    "note": "No legal gate, but each clinic sets its own policy on minors and privacy. Start with your own doctor.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "hospital_volunteer",
   "name": "Hospital teen and junior volunteering",
   "short": "Hospital volunteer",
   "bucket": "hospital-clinic",
   "signal": "medium",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "The culture of a hospital and basic comfort inside one. Stronger the closer the role is to patients.",
   "next_step": "Find your local hospital's volunteer office and ask about its teen or junior program. Apply early; summer cohorts fill.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 14,
    "note": "Set by each hospital, commonly 14 to 16, sometimes 18 for direct patient areas.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "hospice_volunteer",
   "name": "Hospice volunteering",
   "short": "Hospice",
   "bucket": "direct-care",
   "signal": "very-strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Presence without fixing. Among the most formative things a future physician can learn, and rarely sought by resume-chasers.",
   "next_step": "Call a local hospice and ask for the volunteer coordinator. Ask about their teen orientation.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 16,
    "note": "Set by each hospice, often 16 or 18, with required orientation. AAMC names this a way to gain experience without shadowing.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "nursing_home_volunteer",
   "name": "Nursing home and assisted living volunteering",
   "short": "Nursing home",
   "bucket": "direct-care",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Patience and dignity work with elders, and comfort with aging and decline.",
   "next_step": "Call a nearby nursing home or assisted living and ask the activities director how teens can help.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 14,
    "note": "Set by each facility, often 14 to 16 for activities roles.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "ems_youth",
   "name": "EMS and fire youth programs and junior rescue squads",
   "short": "EMS cadet",
   "bucket": "emergency-safety",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Often the best under-18 pathway: ride-alongs, station work, training nights, non-transport roles.",
   "next_step": "Call a local ambulance corps and ask if they run a cadet or Explorer post for teens.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 14,
    "note": "Set by the local ambulance corps, commonly 14 to 17. Not a state certification.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "emr",
   "name": "Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)",
   "short": "EMR",
   "bucket": "emergency-safety",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "state-law",
   "gates": [
    "train",
    "certify",
    "license",
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "A lower-barrier first credential in prehospital care, often open earlier than EMT.",
   "next_step": "Take an EMR course, the shorter first step below EMT. Some states certify at 16.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 16,
    "note": "EMR sits below EMT and is the youngest-accessible licensed route in some states. Verify per state.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "junior_firefighter",
   "name": "Volunteer fire department junior program",
   "short": "Junior firefighter",
   "bucket": "emergency-safety",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Emergency-response culture, CPR, first aid, incident command, teamwork.",
   "next_step": "Ask your local fire department about a junior firefighter or Explorer program.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 14,
    "note": "Set by each department, commonly 14 to 18, often with restricted duties for minors.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "memory_care_volunteer",
   "name": "Memory care volunteer",
   "short": "Memory care",
   "bucket": "direct-care",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Steadiness with dementia and cognitive decline, a setting most students never enter.",
   "next_step": "Ask a memory care facility's activities team about a supervised teen companion role.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 14,
    "note": "Set by each facility, often 14 to 16, sometimes with a companion requirement for minors.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "respite_caretaker",
   "name": "Respite care and paid caretaking",
   "short": "Caretaker",
   "bucket": "direct-care",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Sustained hands-on responsibility for someone who depends on you.",
   "next_step": "Ask families you know who care for someone, or a local respite agency, about a real hands-on role.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 16,
    "note": "Paid roles usually 16 or 18 by employer. Real only when the work is genuinely hands-on.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "camp_counselor_medical",
   "name": "Camp counselor for children with medical needs",
   "short": "Medical-needs camp",
   "bucket": "direct-care",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Direct care and trust with medically complex or disabled kids, over a sustained stretch.",
   "next_step": "Search for a camp for kids with medical needs near you and apply for a counselor-in-training spot.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 15,
    "note": "Set by each camp, commonly 15 to 18, often a counselor-in-training tier for younger teens.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "adaptive_sports_volunteer",
   "name": "Adaptive sports and Special Olympics volunteer",
   "short": "Adaptive sports",
   "bucket": "direct-care",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Working alongside people with disabilities as teammates, not subjects.",
   "next_step": "Find your local Special Olympics or an adaptive sports program and sign up to help at practices.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 14,
    "note": "Set by each program, commonly 14 and up.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "disability_services_volunteer",
   "name": "Disability services and special needs classroom volunteer",
   "short": "Disability services",
   "bucket": "direct-care",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Comfort and skill with disability in everyday settings.",
   "next_step": "Ask your school's special education team or a local disability nonprofit how to volunteer.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 14,
    "note": "Set by each school or organization.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "ed_volunteer",
   "name": "Emergency department volunteer",
   "short": "ED volunteer",
   "bucket": "hospital-clinic",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "The pace and reality of emergency care, when the hospital allows a volunteer that close.",
   "next_step": "Ask a hospital volunteer office whether emergency department volunteering is open to your age.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 16,
    "note": "Set by each hospital, often 16 or 18 given the setting.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "patient_transport_volunteer",
   "name": "Patient transport volunteer",
   "short": "Patient transport",
   "bucket": "hospital-clinic",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Direct, repeated patient contact in a clearly useful role.",
   "next_step": "Ask a hospital volunteer office about a patient transport role, which puts you in real, repeated patient contact.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 16,
    "note": "Set by each hospital, commonly 16 and up.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "shadow_pediatrics",
   "name": "Pediatrics shadowing",
   "short": "Shadow pediatrics",
   "bucket": "hospital-clinic",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "A focused look at one specialty most students are drawn to.",
   "next_step": "Ask a pediatrician you or your family know whether you can shadow. Family connections open this fastest.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 0,
    "note": "Clinic policy on minors applies. Often easier via a family connection.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "shadow_allied_health",
   "name": "PT / OT / speech therapy shadowing",
   "short": "Shadow PT/OT/speech",
   "bucket": "hospital-clinic",
   "signal": "medium",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Healthcare exploration beyond physicians, useful when framed honestly.",
   "next_step": "Ask a local physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech clinic if a student can observe.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 0,
    "note": "Set by each practice. Often more open to students than physician offices.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "shadow_dental",
   "name": "Dental and orthodontic shadowing",
   "short": "Shadow dental",
   "bucket": "hospital-clinic",
   "signal": "medium",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Procedural healthcare exposure, useful as part of a broader exploration.",
   "next_step": "Ask your dentist or orthodontist if you can observe for a day.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 0,
    "note": "Set by each practice.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "shadow_optometry",
   "name": "Optometry shadowing",
   "short": "Shadow optometry",
   "bucket": "hospital-clinic",
   "signal": "medium",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Clinical exposure in an accessible outpatient setting.",
   "next_step": "Ask a local optometrist whether you can observe a clinic day.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 0,
    "note": "Set by each practice.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "medical_office_assistant",
   "name": "Clinic front desk / medical office assistant",
   "short": "Office assistant",
   "bucket": "hospital-clinic",
   "signal": "medium",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "The systems side of care and patient interaction, even if not hands-on.",
   "next_step": "Ask local clinics whether they hire or take student help at the front desk.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 16,
    "note": "Employer-set, commonly 16 and up.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "lifeguard",
   "name": "Lifeguard (with CPR / AED)",
   "short": "Lifeguard",
   "bucket": "emergency-safety",
   "signal": "foundation",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "train",
    "license"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Underrated. Real responsibility, first aid, CPR, risk recognition, a rescue mindset.",
   "next_step": "Sign up for a lifeguard course through your town pool, YMCA, or Red Cross. You will earn CPR and AED too.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 15,
    "note": "Certifying bodies commonly set 15 to start the course.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "cpr_first_aid",
   "name": "CPR / First Aid / Stop the Bleed",
   "short": "CPR / Stop the Bleed",
   "bucket": "emergency-safety",
   "signal": "foundation",
   "gated_by": "none",
   "gates": [
    "train"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Not clinical by itself, but a real foundation and an easy first step at any age.",
   "next_step": "Book a CPR, First Aid, or Stop the Bleed class through the Red Cross or a local provider. Open at almost any age.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 0,
    "note": "Open to most ages. A base, never the whole story.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "hosa",
   "name": "HOSA (Future Health Professionals)",
   "short": "HOSA",
   "bucket": "health-professions",
   "signal": "foundation",
   "gated_by": "none",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Leadership, competition, and a health-science identity. Not enough alone, strong when paired with real patient contact.",
   "next_step": "Ask whether your school has a HOSA chapter. If not, ask a teacher about starting one.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 11,
    "note": "Open to middle, secondary, and college students. Designed for students interested in health professions.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "health_science_cte",
   "name": "Biomedical / health science CTE pathway",
   "short": "Health science CTE",
   "bucket": "health-professions",
   "signal": "medium",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "A school track that can fold in CNA, EMT, sports medicine, and medical terminology.",
   "next_step": "Ask your counselor whether your school offers a biomedical or health science CTE pathway.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 14,
    "note": "Offered through high schools, typically starting 9th or 10th grade.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "hospital_teen_summer",
   "name": "Hospital teen summer program",
   "short": "Teen summer program",
   "bucket": "health-professions",
   "signal": "medium",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Structured hospital exposure, valuable when the role is patient-facing.",
   "next_step": "Search your local hospitals for a teen summer program and note the deadline. They close early.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 15,
    "note": "Competitive, local, and age-limited. Apply early.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "cope_health_scholars",
   "name": "COPE Health Scholars / Junior Health Scholars",
   "short": "Health Scholars",
   "bucket": "health-professions",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Hospital-based patient-care exposure in a structured program, where offered.",
   "next_step": "Check whether a nearby health system runs COPE Health Scholars or a junior tier.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 15,
    "note": "Available at select health systems. Junior tier exists for high schoolers.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "ahec_program",
   "name": "AHEC (Area Health Education Center) program",
   "short": "AHEC",
   "bucket": "health-professions",
   "signal": "medium",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "State or regional healthcare-pipeline exposure, often free.",
   "next_step": "Search for your state's AHEC and see what student programs it runs, often free.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 14,
    "note": "State and regional programs. Eligibility varies.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "pipeline_program",
   "name": "Medical school pipeline program",
   "short": "Pipeline program",
   "bucket": "health-professions",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Structured mentorship and exposure, especially valuable for first-gen and underrepresented students.",
   "next_step": "Search for medical school pipeline programs in your region, especially if you are first-gen or underrepresented.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 14,
    "note": "Run by individual medical schools. Eligibility and age vary.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "red_cross_youth",
   "name": "Red Cross youth volunteer",
   "short": "Red Cross",
   "bucket": "public-health-research",
   "signal": "foundation",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Service, blood drives, disaster response, community-health exposure.",
   "next_step": "Find your local Red Cross chapter and ask about youth volunteering or a Red Cross Club.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 13,
    "note": "Youth volunteer roles and Red Cross Clubs exist for teens.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "blood_drive_organizer",
   "name": "Blood drive organizer",
   "short": "Blood drive",
   "bucket": "public-health-research",
   "signal": "medium",
   "gated_by": "none",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Real community-health organizing with a measurable result.",
   "next_step": "Offer to organize a blood drive through your school or a club with the Red Cross.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 14,
    "note": "Open to motivated students, often through a school or club.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "public_health_volunteer",
   "name": "Public health department volunteer",
   "short": "Public health",
   "bucket": "public-health-research",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Community-facing health work and the population view of medicine.",
   "next_step": "Contact your county or city health department and ask how teens can volunteer.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 16,
    "note": "Set by each department.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "health_fair_volunteer",
   "name": "Health fair volunteer",
   "short": "Health fair",
   "bucket": "public-health-research",
   "signal": "medium",
   "gated_by": "none",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Direct community contact around health, in short bursts.",
   "next_step": "Ask local clinics, churches, or community centers about volunteering at a health fair.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 14,
    "note": "Generally open to teens.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "research_assistant",
   "name": "Research assistant (lab or clinical)",
   "short": "Research",
   "bucket": "public-health-research",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Disciplined inquiry, strongest when it yields real output. Gated by network, not state law, so it lives in its own guide.",
   "next_step": "Email a professor or lab whose work interests you and ask about a student role. Access is about who you reach.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 14,
    "note": "Set by each lab or institution. Access is about who you can reach, not your state.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "clinical_research_admin",
   "name": "Clinical research admin volunteer",
   "short": "Clinical research admin",
   "bucket": "public-health-research",
   "signal": "medium",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "The operational side of trials and clinical studies.",
   "next_step": "Ask a local hospital or university research office about a student volunteer role.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 16,
    "note": "Set by each institution.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "mental_health_peer",
   "name": "Mental health peer support / hotline",
   "short": "Peer support",
   "bucket": "public-health-research",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "train",
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Listening under real emotional weight, when legitimate and supervised.",
   "next_step": "Look for a supervised peer support program with proper training. Take the responsibility seriously.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 16,
    "note": "Age-dependent and program-specific. Training required.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "patient_advocacy_nonprofit",
   "name": "Patient advocacy / disease-specific nonprofit",
   "short": "Advocacy nonprofit",
   "bucket": "public-health-research",
   "signal": "medium",
   "gated_by": "none",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Real service to patients and families, weak if performative.",
   "next_step": "Find a disease-specific nonprofit you care about and commit to real, sustained service.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 14,
    "note": "Open to teens. Strong only with genuine, sustained service.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "food_housing_services",
   "name": "Food pantry / housing / disability services",
   "short": "Social determinants",
   "bucket": "public-health-research",
   "signal": "medium",
   "gated_by": "none",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "The social determinants of health, up close. Not medical, deeply relevant.",
   "next_step": "Volunteer regularly at a food pantry, housing, or disability service. The social side of health matters.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 13,
    "note": "Broadly open to teens.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "bilingual_outreach",
   "name": "Bilingual health outreach support (supervised)",
   "short": "Bilingual outreach",
   "bucket": "public-health-research",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "local-policy",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Bridging language and care, strong when the student is bilingual and properly supervised.",
   "next_step": "If you are bilingual, ask a clinic or community org about a supervised outreach role. Never interpret medically unsupervised.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 15,
    "note": "Supervised roles only. Never unsupervised medical interpreting.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "family_caregiving",
   "name": "Family caregiving",
   "short": "Family caregiving",
   "bucket": "direct-care",
   "signal": "strong",
   "gated_by": "none",
   "gates": [
    "access"
   ],
   "what_it_teaches": "Real, sustained responsibility for someone you love. Often the most honest answer to why medicine, undervalued because it has no badge.",
   "next_step": "You may already be doing this. Keep a short journal of what you do and what it teaches you.",
   "national": {
    "min_age": 0,
    "note": "No age gate. The work is what counts. Tell it truthfully, never inflate it.",
    "status": "needs_confirm"
   }
  }
 ]
}